dEUS at Koko

dEUS at Koko

16 October, 2008
by: Lowri

dEUS – the experimental rockers who made their name as Belgium’s most avant-garde rock band – have come a long, long way since those days. Considered to appeal to a certain kind of muso, dEUS have a big following in Europe, but their only UK date at Koko tonight fails to sell out. And not even the touts are up for buying tickets. That said, tonight's show has been upgraded from The Forum due to massive ticket sales - and Koko is the perfect venue for a band like dEUS - with it's stunning light shows and atmospheric tiers.

dEUS are a band of little-known brilliance. Their sound ranges from deep, driving, multi-textured rock to melodic, poppy sweetness and sentimentality. With five members, an impressive diversity of style and one multi-instrumentalist, similarities can be drawn to (whisper it) Radiohead. Their songs have that same epic, lush quality that floods you as you watch them play.

Tonight's set list strikes the perfect balance between the older material from their most popular album 'The Ideal Crash' (the songs that the fans are waiting for) and the showcasing of newer material from latest album 'Vantage Point'.

'Instant Street' – their poppiest number – is played second and gets a huge reaction – but then so does every single song. And the band don't let up. The combination of five voices, two guitars, a bass and an electric violin really makes for a richly-layered, driving sound. 'Suds and Soda' – one of their early hits – is a massive, driving rock song with a drop so intense that it has everyone singing at the tops of their voices.

dEUS have more of a sense of humour than Radiohead. It's fun to watch them. They smile. And they clearly, absolutely love what they do. They engage with the crowd, are excitable, immersed in their performance - and appreciate the appreciation they are getting. There's no po-faced acting like you'd rather be elsewhere. They aren't afraid to unify, to completely wig out - and even lean towards the mainstream - for the sake of a really satisfying song. And that is what makes them so fucking good. There's no holding back.

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Lowri